In this particular technical sector, there is a known need for carrying out insertion of the articles in relative containers in the exact and predetermined number requested.
Therefore, it is of fundamental importance for the articles inserted in the containers to correspond to the predetermined number.
For this purpose machines are known, by the name of counters, which carry out the count of the articles and provide at the outlet thereof the number of articles in the predetermined number for filling the containers.
As it is not known, nor can be previously, which and how many articles are sent to the counting machine, the time interval that passes between the completion of a count of the exact number of articles requested and the following one is never constant, nor is it possible to predict or calculate it priorly.
Consequently the unloading of the counted articles in the exact number requested by the outlet of the counting machine cannot always occur with the same time frequency and rhythm.
A prior art application for carrying out the insertion of the counted articles from the outlet of the counting machine internally of the relative containers includes causing the containers to transit directly below the outlet of the counting machine and to halt them at the outlet for the time required for filling thereof.
It is clear that a procedure such as the one above is certainly not advantageous in terms of productivity, as the number of containers that can be filled per minute is very low, as each time it is necessary to pause the container below the outlet of the counting machine up to when the articles are unloaded in the exact required number.
The applicant has already obviated the above-mentioned drawbacks by designing and constructing an apparatus able to perform the transfer of the pharmaceutical articles from the outlet of the counting machine internally of containers which are advanced continuously along a conveyor line, therefore without the need to halt them so as to fill them.
This apparatus is described in patent application EP 2 671 807.
The apparatus comprises a first series of tubular elements and a second series of tubular elements, suitable for receiving the articles from the counting machine and for carrying out the transfer of the containers while they are advancing continuously along a conveyor line.
The tubular elements of the first series of tubular elements are borne by relative support arms, which are constrained to a support organ set in rotation about a relative vertical rotation axis, so that the support arms are activated in rotation about this axis and the relative tubular elements can be moved according to a circular pathway so that they can transit both below the outlet of the counting machine and above the containers advancing continuously along the conveyor line.
Correspondingly, the tubular elements of the second series of tubular elements are borne by relative support arms, which are constrained to a support organ set in rotation about a relative vertical rotation axis, so that the support arms are activated in rotation about this axis and the relative tubular elements can be moved according to a circular pathway such that they can transit both below the outlet of the counting machine and above the containers advancing continuously along the conveyor line.
The two support organs are activated independently of one another by means of relative motor organs, and each thereof can be activated in rotation about the rotation axis thereof in both a stepped mode and a continuous mode, for following the containers advancing along the conveyor line.
In this way, the first series of tubular elements and the second series of tubular elements can be activated independently of one another, and the tubular elements of each series can be activated both in stepped mode and, therefore, can be halted time by time below the outlet of the counting machine for receiving the counted articles, and, once filled with the articles in the required number, can be activated in continuous mode so as to follow and be positioned above a container, while it is advancing continuously along the relative conveyor line, and release therein the articles contained internally thereof.
To retain the articles internally of the tubular elements, during the travel thereof between the outlet of the counting machine and the position in which the tubular elements are above the containers, a support plate is provided.
The plate has a curved extension corresponding to the extension of the tubular elements, from the outlet of the counting machine up to a position at the point where the tubular elements are above the containers, and is situated at a level such that the lower ends of the tubular elements are positioned immediately above the plate, so as to be able to slide on the plate so that the articles are maintained internally thereof due to the presence of the plate which occludes the lower end thereof.
The plate also has a tapered edge so that the lower end of the tubular elements is freed and gradually opened in synchrony with the positioning thereof above the containers.
The plate further exhibits holes connectable to an aspiration source so that the inside of the tubular elements, during the sliding thereof above the plate between the outlet of the counting machine and the position in which they are above the containers to be filled, is subjected to an aspirating action with the aim of aspirating and removing any dust present and accumulated between the pharmaceutical articles transported thereby.
An apparatus of this type has without doubt been demonstrated to be efficient, especially in terms of increase in productivity, in the sense that it has been able to guarantee the filling of the containers when they are maintained in continuous advancement along a conveyor line, therefore without the need to have to halt the containers for the filling operations.
The Applicant has however added improvements and details to the above-mentioned apparatus by making a series of improvements that have, enabled obviating some drawbacks which were capable of emerging in certain circumstances that could not be predicted with certainty beforehand.
For example, the Applicant has found that at times the counting machine, as a consequence of irregularities in the supply of the articles to be counted, takes a longer time than usual (or predictable in normal circumstances) for terminating the counting operations and making available, at the outlet thereof, the exact number of articles required for filling the containers.
The occurrence of this circumstance led to the need to maintain one or more of the tubular elements of one of the two series of tubular elements paused for a longer time below the counting machine, while the tubular elements of the other series, once having completed the unloading operations thereof, were forced to back up the first and await their turn.
This was due to the fact that the time passing between receiving the exact number of articles from the counting machine and the unloading of the articles internally of the containers is very rapid, as the trajectory followed by the tubular elements from the outlet of the counting machine to the position in which they are above the containers is substantially circular and therefore of brief entity.
Consequently the drawback might arise that some containers might transit beyond the position fixed for filling thereof without there being tubular elements ready for the release of the articles, as they had to wait for the correct and complete filling thereof below the counting machine.
Further, the time during which the tubular elements are above the containers is very short, as they follow a pathway that is substantially circular while the containers advance continuously along a straight advancement direction, and therefore the release operations of the articles might not be optimal (the superposing portion between the pathway followed by the tubular elements and the pathway followed by the containers is very brief and short).
In this regard, cams are present in the apparatus for correcting the circular trajectory followed by the tubular elements at the superposing position thereof over the pathway of the containers so that the tubular elements follow a straight portion above the containers in order to lengthen the time during which the tubular elements follow the containers for unloading the articles internally thereof.
However this detail has shown itself not to be entirely satisfactory.
Further, since, as indicated in the foregoing, the trajectory the tubular elements follow above the plate between the outlet of the counting machine and the position in which they release the articles into the containers is of a short entity, the dust aspirating operations have not always been observed to be entirely efficient.